Improvement in dredge-boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SMITH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN DREDGE-BOX'ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,048, dated January 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SMITH, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Dredge-Box; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of the same.

Figure 1 is a side view of the box. Fig. 2 is a View of the top. Fig. 3 is a view of the inside of the top or cover. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the cover. Fig. 5 is a detached section.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

.The nature of this invention relates to a dredge-box; and the object thereof is to provide a free and ready means for the escape of the contents of the box when needed, and also to provide a safe and reliable guard against the escape thereof when not especially needed, so that the box when filled can be used as a package for transportation.

The following is a more full and complete description In the drawing, Fig. 1, A represents the body of the box, of which B is the cover, fitted thereon in the usual way. The top of said cover may be struck up, forming a boss, 0. The boss, however, is not essential, as the top may have a plain surface like unto the bottom. Inthe center of the cover is made a dent or cavity, a, Figs. 3 and 4, in the bottom of which is an opening, 0, for the emission of the contents of the box. D, Fig. 4, is a cap or deflector, a detached view of which is shown in Fig. 5. Said cap fits tightly in the cavity or dent referred to when pressed hard down thereon, as shown in Fig. 4, in consequence of the angle of the sides d,'which crowd into the sides of the cavity. The cap is attached I to the cover by a key, E, the stem of which passes through the opening in the cover and is fixed to the deflector. The head of the key prevents it from being pulled through the opening when the deflector is loose. The

purpose of the key is not to hold the deflector or cap close down upon the cover, as shown in Fig. 4, but to retain it in connection therewith when the cap is loose; the length of the stem of the key being sufiicient to permit the cap to become loose.

The practical use of the above-described box is as follows: The box is supposed to have a holding capacity of a certain amount of mate rial-for instance, pepperand when filled it is put in the market as a package of so much pepper. To prevent the contents of the box from spilling out While being used simply as such package, the deflector is pressed hard down into the cavity, thereby serving as a cap to cover the hole 0 in the bottom thereof,so that the pepper or other material contained therein cannot escape or spill out while being handled for shipping.

When the box is required to be used as a dredge the cap is loosened, which will then play about in the cavity, but cannot escape therefrom, as the key retains it in connection with the cover, but allows it to be so loose that the pepper can escape through the hole and out under the cap when shaken, as is done with the ordinary spice-dredge. The cap, bein g directly over the hole 0 and of such form, deflects or scatters the pepper or other material, so that it does not escape from the box in a single stream, and is prevented from clogging by lodging about the hole and cavity by the movement of the key.

Claim.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A dredge-box having a recess or cavity, a, with an opening, 0, in the cover or end B of said box, the cap D, and key E, arranged and operating in relation to each other substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THOMAS SMITH.

Witnesses J. H. BURRIDGE, CHARLES LEAVITT. 

